Lara Olsen

Last updated

Lara Olsen
Education University of Melbourne
OccupationManaging Director
Employer South East Water
Known forSustainability Technology

Lara Olsen ATSE is a chemical engineer and sustainable technology leader, working in delivering climate change solutions, and the managing director of South East Water, in Australia. [1] [2] She was recognised as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2023 [3] and worked on the Big Battery in Hornsdale, an industrial scale renewable energy battery in South Australia. [4]

Contents

Education

Olsen has a Bachelor of Arts in Chemical Engineering and Japanese from University of Melbourne in 1999 and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD in 2004.

Olsen graduated with a Bachelor Arts/Engineering (hons) from the University of Melbourne and Tokyo University of Technology, in 1999. where she was on the Deans Honours List. Olsen has also completed an MBA. [5]

Career

Olsen was the Regional Manager- Business Development for Tesla Energy, Asia Pacific. [6] At Tesla, Olsen was responsible for developing and extending Tesla Energy's commercial and grid-scale storage business in Australia, New Zealand, and the neighbouring regional markets. Prior to this, Olsen was Head of Strategy at CitiPower, Powercor and Head of Strategy at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). [7] Olsen was also the head of the big battery project, Hornsdale Power Reserve, South Australia. [8] [9]

Olsen's leadership roles include strategy around renewables, including at ARENA, as well as Tesla Energy, in the United States.

Olsen has provided keynote addresses on water and sustainable management, in the UK. [10] She has worked in a number of gender equity, inclusion and diversity programs in engineering and technology across industry and high school. [4]

Awards

Related Research Articles

Zygmunt Edward "Ziggy" Switkowski,, is a Polish Australian business executive and nuclear physicist. His most public role was as the chief executive officer of Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra from 1999 to 2004. During his tenure, he oversaw the privatisation of the then government-owned corporation through a series of public tranche sales. Later positions were chairman of both NBN Co and Suncorp, a director of Healthscope, Oil Search and Tabcorp and the Chancellor of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Sir Arvi Hillar ParboAC FTSE FRSV HonFAusIMM was a business executive who was concurrently chairman of three of Australia's largest companies, Alcoa World Alumina & Chemicals, Munich Re, and Zurich Australian Insurance.

The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) is a learned academy that helps Australians understand and use technology to solve complex problems. It was founded in 1975 as one of Australia's then four learned academies. Its original name was the 'Australian Academy of Technological Sciences', but in 1987 the name was lengthened to include Engineering, as 'Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering'. In 2015, the Academy adopted a new business name, the 'Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering', reserving the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering as its company name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Finkel</span> Australian neuroscientist, engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Alan Simon Finkel is an Australian neuroscientist, inventor, researcher, entrepreneur, educator, policy advisor, and philanthropist. He was Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2016 to 2020. Prior to his appointment, his career included Chancellor of Monash University, President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), and CEO and founder of Axon Instruments, and CTO for the electric car start-up Better Place Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Batterham</span> Australian scientist

Robin John Batterham AO FREng FAA FTSE is an Australian scientist specialising in chemical engineering. He was the Chief Scientist of Australia from 1999 to 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Zelinsky</span> Australian computer scientist and roboticist

Alexander ‘Alex’ Zelinsky, is an Australian computer scientist, systems engineer and roboticist. His career spans innovation, science and technology, research and development, commercial start-ups and education. Professor Zelinsky is Vice-chancellor and President of the University of Newcastle joining the university in November 2018. He was the Chief Defence Scientist of Australia from March 2012 until November 2018. As Chief Defence Scientist he led defence science and technology for Australia's Department of Defence.

Susan Denise Meek is an Australian scientist. From 2008 to 2016, she was the Chief Executive of the Australian Academy of Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity sector in Australia</span>

The electricity sector in Australia has been historically dominated by coal-fired power stations, but renewables are forming a rapidly growing fraction of supply. In 2021, Australia's electricity production reached 265 TWh, with coal accounting for 52.9% and natural gas for 18.8%. Renewable sources, comprising solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy with waste, collectively made up 26.7% of the total electricity generation mix.

The Hornsdale Wind Farm is an electricity generator in the locality of Hornsdale in the south-west of the Narien Range, north of Jamestown, South Australia. It consists of 99 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 315 megawatts (422,000 hp). The plant is owned and operated by Neoen, a French renewable energy company.

Neoen is a French producer of exclusively renewable energy headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 2008, it develops, finances, builds and operates solar power plants, wind farms and energy storage solutions. As at 30 June 2023, the company's total capacity was 7 GW, made up of 47% solar, 34% wind and 19% battery storage. Neoen aims to attain 10 GW in operation or under construction by 2025.

Hornsdale Power Reserve is a 150 MW grid-connected energy storage system owned by Neoen co-located with the Hornsdale Wind Farm in the Mid North region of South Australia, also owned by Neoen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Pond</span> Australian scientist and technologist

Susan Margaret Pond is an Australian scientist and technologist, active in business and academia, and recognised for her contributions to medicine, biotechnology, renewable energy and sustainability. She is the current president of the Royal Society of New South Wales.

Maria Forsyth is an Australian chemist. She is a research professor at the University of the Basque Country and an Alfred Deakin Fellow at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia where she holds the Chair in Electromaterials and Corrosion Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tesla Megapack</span> Large-scale battery energy storage product manufactured by Tesla Energy

The Tesla Megapack is a large-scale rechargeable lithium-ion battery stationary energy storage product, intended for use at battery storage power stations, manufactured by Tesla Energy, the energy subsidiary of Tesla, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicki Chen</span> Australian engineer

Prof. Vicki Chen is an Australian engineer, a former Executive Dean for the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at the University of Queensland, and current Provost and Senior Vice-President of the University of Technology Sydney.[10] In 2020 she was elected as the Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim May (chemical engineer)</span> Australian chemical engineer and researcher (1934–2023)

James Richard MayAM FTSE HonFAusIMM was an Australian chemical engineer and company director who was the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Minerals Industry Research Association Limited (AMIRA) between 1968 and 1994. He was also a fellow of a number of chartered institutions and organisations and was on various committees and academic institutes.

John Buxton Laurie was an Australian consultant engineer. In 2003 he was awarded Australia's highest civilian honour, Companion of the Order of Australia, for his services to engineering and to community support.

Therese Flapper is an environmental engineer, and was elected to be a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, in 2023. She has worked with infrastructure including water, roads, waste, energy and buildings, and was past president of Engineers Australia, Canberra, and the local Landcare group.

Jane MacMaster is a mechanical, aerospace and systems design engineer, and was Chief Engineer of Engineering Australia from 2020 to 2024.

References

  1. "Lara Olsen - Managing Director at South East Water Corporation". THE ORG. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  2. Cook, Kody (2 June 2023). "South East Water recruits new general managers to support new strategies". Utility Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  3. "Globally-recognised engineering, applied science and tech leaders appointed Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering". ATSE. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Lara Olsen FTSE". ATSE. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  5. "Find a Scholar". www.johnmonash.com. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  6. Team, S. W. M. (28 January 2020). "Australia's South East Water appoints Lara Olsen as new Managing Director". Smart Water Magazine. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  7. "Lara Olsen". GWI Networks. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  8. "Lara Olsen - Managing Director at South East Water Corporation". THE ORG. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  9. "Welcome to Engineers Australia Portal". portal.engineersaustralia.org.au. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. "Lara Olsen". Global Water Summit. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  11. "Lara Olsen FTSE". ATSE. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  12. Brookes, Joseph (10 October 2023). "Australian innovators awarded ATSE honours". InnovationAus.com. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  13. "All Fellows". ATSE. Retrieved 11 November 2023.